Garment



' Oct. 30, 1928.

C. G. WRIGHT GARMENT Filed Jan. 15. 1925 A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAIR GVWRIGHT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO EIiY &.WALKER DRY GOODS COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MIS

SOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSO'UBI.

GARMENT.

I Application filed January This invention relates to combination undergarments and particularly to a combined drawers and shirt connected by an elastlo band or belt having sufficient stretch to pre vent tension on the drawers portion when the wearer bends. Such garments are old and well known, the disadvantage of the construction being that the band or belt is liable to be stretched beyond its elastic limit so that the belt tears or pulls away from either the shirt or the drawers portion.

My invention relates to a reinforcing tape or strip connected to the upper edge of the drawers and the lower edge of the shirt to span the connecting belt. The reinforcing strip consists of material which has less elasticity than the band so that when the wearer bends over the major portion of the strain will be put upon the strip and in actual practice I prefer to make the reinforcing bridging strip of a length approximately equal to the normal width of the band so that the reinforcing strip and band will begin to stretch or expand simultaneously, the edges of the strip being reinforced preferably by overcasting so that no raw edges will appear upon the reinforcement. The band is preferably made from ordinary cotton yarn while the reinforcing member bridging the gap between the drawers and the shirt is preferably made of strong closely knit material which may conveniently consist of cotton yarn wales and linen intermeshing threads. The shirt portion may be additionally braced by longitudinal diagonally disposed reinforcing strips, the edges of which may be sewed to the garment so that an appreciable portion of the strain on the shirt back will be taken up by the strips or tapes.

The novelty of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a rear view of the upper part of the garment, the band and reinforcing strips.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the band and reinforcing strips, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of part of the reinforcing strip.

The shirt 1 and the drawers portion 2 may be of the usual athletic type connected by an elastic waist band 3 preferably made of knitted cotton yarn with the wales running 15, 1925. .Serial No. 2,569.

transversely of the garment. The band is stitched by bands of stitching 4 and 5 as will be well understood. The shirt may be provided with upwardly and outwardly inclined reinforcing tapes or strips 6 and 7, the edges of which may be stitched to the back of the garment in an appropriate manner. The lower ends of the tapes or strips 6 and 7 may be sewed across by the line of stitching 4 and the upper portions may be fastened by the shoulder seams 8 and 9. The tapes 6 and 7 will to a considerable extent reinforce the back of the shirt. The reinforcing strip 10 connected to the shirt and the drawers by the lines of stitching 4 and 5 is constructed of a material having less elasticity than the band 3. That is, it will be made of material offering greater resistance to stretch than the band 3. The wales 11 of the strip 10 will run transversely of the strip and they preferably consist of relatively thick cotton fibre yarn while the intermeshing stitches 12 are finer, preferably of linen thread. The intermeshing stitches are preferably purled and plain,

stitches in alternating relation. This makes a very strong elastic fabric but I do not wish to be limited to the particular fabric specified, it being sufficient for the'purpose of the invention that the reinforcing strip be of stronger material having greater resistance to stretch than the material of which the band 3 is made.

In order to protect the raw edges from which the strip 10 is made I prefer to overcast the edges 13 and 14. This adds additional strength to the material at the edges and pre vents tearing and raveling as well as presenting a finished appearance to the strip.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the reinforcing strip will adequately resist the tendency of the band 3 to stretch beyond its normal elastic limit and that it will offer greater resistance to the separation of the drawers and the shirt than will the band 3, therefore the band 3 will remain intact and will not be torn when the undergarment is in service.

By reason of this limit of expansion of the band due to the limit of the expansion of the strip being less than that of the band transversely of the latter, the band is prevented from stretching beyond its normal elastic limit and the elasticity of the band is preserved and the band and the strip will always tend to return to normal position.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a garment comprising a shirt and drawers and a band connecting the shirt and drawers, the band having its wales extending transversely of the garment to afford elasticity between the shirt and drawers, a strip approximately the width of the band spanning the band, having its ends connected with the shirt and with the drawers and having its edges free, the strip having its wales extending parallel with those of the band and having diagonal cross threads permitting limited expansion of the band and whereby expansibility of the strip is rendered less than that of the band, thereby preserving elasticity of the band and tending to permit return of-theband and strip to normal position after each 20 stretching action. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLAIR Gr. WVRIGHT. 

